Boys and men dive among flooded crops to rescue the last ears of corn with which they hope to feed their families, although they know that most of the harvest has already been lost due to flooding in Secacaj, Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, Alta Verapaz.
In Secacaj, located about 45 minutes from the urban area of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, just a few days ago there were extensive plots of corn, beans and cassava, today only a few leaves stand out between two and three meters of water. Its inhabitants know that, even if the flood level recedes, the harvest is lost. The corn will begin to rot and can no longer be consumed or sold.
Among those trying to rescue part of their production is Rosario Caz Choc, 37 years old. With several ears of corn in his hands, cut by his own children underwater, he recounts the blow that the floods dealt to his family’s heritage.
He lost four blocks planted with corn and cassava, with losses estimated at Q5 thousand, money that represented the sustenance of his home. Other inhabitants report losses of between Q10 thousand and Q15 thousand.
The emergency is also beginning to take its toll on health. Their children have injuries and infections on their feet from spending hours in contaminated water while trying to save the harvest. She has also suffered skin injuries.
In the midst of the floods, the scenario repeats itself. Cows remain knee-deep in water in search of small dry spaces, while families watch as months of work disappears underwater.
According to a preliminary report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), the persistent rains of the second week of July have caused severe flooding in Izabal and Alta Verapaz due to the increase in river flow and the saturation of the soil.
In Izabal, preliminary evaluations report at least 106 hectares of corn affected in El Estor and Livingston, with an impact on some 150 producer families. In addition, in El Estor there are losses of 1,909 poultry, which directly affects 132 families.
In Alta Verapaz, MAGA brigades continue monitoring corn and bean crops in municipalities such as Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, San Cristóbal Verapaz, Chahal and Chisec to determine the magnitude of the damage.
The mayor of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, Walther Ayala, assures that the food crisis has worsened, not only in the homes of the affected families, but also in the local economy, since extensive cardamom plantations remain under water, a situation that could cause the plants to rot.
He added that many of these families sell this product to small businesses, which allows them to survive economically. For this reason, he requested support from MAGA to evaluate the affected areas and, together with the Government, implement a long-term support plan to prevent an increase in cases of malnutrition.
However, in communities like Secacaj, families no longer wait for the results of the evaluations. Before their eyes, an entire year’s harvest was buried under water and now they do not know how they will face the coming months, since those crops not only represented income from sales, but also food for their homes.
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